


The Joy of Christmas

by ZoneRobotnik



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Christmas Fluff, The Fenton family has issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-09-08 07:10:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8835181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: When Danny is ready to throw in the towel when it comes to Christmas with his family, he retreats to the Ghost Zone's Christmas Truce party.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Danny Phantom (c) Butch Hartman & Nickelodeon

“He's real!”  
  
“He's not!”  
  
“He is real, last year he ate the cookies and milk I left for him!”  
  
“ _ **You**_ ate those in a half-asleep stupor while I was still wrapping the last few presents! There is no scientifically-possible way for Santa to really exist and go around the world in an entire night! And reindeer don't fly!”  
  
“Uuuugh.” Danny lowered his book, glaring at his parents out of the corner of his eye. “Can you believe they've been doing this for all 25 years of my _life_?” He looked at his sister, who was looking over something on a laptop.  
  
“Tack two more years onto that, little brother.” Jazz rolled her eyes. “You'd think they'd stop by now. We'll just have to put up with it, just like every year.”  
  
“Well, I don't know about you, but I have other plans.” Danny put a bookmark in his book and changed into his Phantom form before flying off to the lab.  
  
“Wait, other plans?” Jazz followed him down and saw him opening the portal doors. “Danny! Why are you going to the Ghost Zone?!”  
  
“Because it's the one place I can guarantee there won't be fighting on Christmas Eve!” Danny looked back at her. “See you tomorrow, sis.” He flew inside.  
  
Jazz groaned. “Oh, mom and dad did it now...”  
  
 **–**  
  
The Christmas Truce party was in full swing, with food laid out and the kids playing together – he was glad that Dani had decided to come this year – while the adults all talked. As he stepped in, Skulker noticed him first.  
  
“So, you decided to join us this year, whelp!” Skulker grinned.  
  
“Yeah, I finally decided to accept your invitation.” Danny sighed. “I figure if I'm gonna not be a sourpuss on Christmas, it'd be here.”  
  
“What happened with your family?” Lunch Lady asked, grabbing her daughter to fix her messy hair.  
  
“My parents just are still having the same stupid argument they do every Christmas. Usually I try to ignore it and grumble, but I decided to just...ditch it this year.” Danny shrugged.  
  
“Argument?” Skulker asked, setting a steaming meat dish he'd been carrying on the table.  
  
“Whether Santa is real or not. It's bad enough that mom sometimes tries to go to the mall and drag Santa away from the kids wanting to sit with him, telling the kids he doesn't exist. Pisses a lot of people off, and she does it every year. On the other hand, we've got my dad that excitedly tells the kids that Santa IS real and to look forward to hearing the sleigh on Christmas Eve night. Then they got into a big fight until security throws them out.” Danny explained, looking exasperated.  
  
“Hm...it seems to be that they have very differing views on Old Saint Nick.” Skulker said thoughtfully. “Your mother seems to need cold, hard facts to believe anything, while your father is willing to believe in things that there is no proof of. Is your family religious at all?”  
  
“Uh, no. Not really.” Danny shook his head. “Why?”  
  
“Just curious. Anyways, it doesn't really matter whether Santa Claus is real or not.” Skulker shook his head.  
  
“It doesn't?” Danny asked.  
  
“No, of course not.” Lunch Lady smiled. “It's true that at one point there was a man named Kris Kringle that worked with his family to make toys and had people go to all the towns they could, but he's long dead and had many descendants by this point. And the likelihood of them all carrying on the tradition is rather low. No, what matters is the joy and wonder that the very _thought_ of Santa Claus brings to children. The Joy of Christmas. Your mother may want all the cold, hard facts, but sometimes you need room for a little wonder. Especially the children.”  
  
“In this cold, harsh world, the kids need something to believe in, some magic to keep imagination and joy alive.” Johnny walked over to them. “It's not really cool for your mother to try to deprive kids of that, especially ones that aren't her own. And the fact that she has been so focused on this that it's ruined the Christmases of her own kids, it's really not cool.”  
  
“Christmas is a time for family, not for arguing whether Santa exists or not.” Lunch Lady shook her head. “And it's not for running away to avoid conflict, either. We're delighted that you chose to spend the day with us, but we will be doing this for the next two days. Go spend tonight with your family.” She placed a Santa hat on Danny's head and hugged him. “You never know when you might lose them.”  
  
Danny nodded solemnly, thinking of how Dan Phantom was born, and stepped back when she released him. “...I'll be back later.”  
  
“Merry Christmas.” Skulker and Lunch Lady said.  
  
“Merry Christmas.” Danny smiled, then flew off.  
  
 **–**  
  
“...and I don't know where he went or when he'll be back! How could you do this every year?! Danny and I have jobs now, we take the time to come and visit for the holidays, and you spend all of it with this pointless bickering!”  
  
Danny came up the stairs from the lab to find Jazz had their parents cornered on the couch, standing in her best lawyer pose. None of them had noticed him yet, and he took advantage of it to come and up and hug her from behind.  
  
“Whoa! Uh, Danny?” Jazz looked at him.  
  
“I decided to come back.” He smiled and then went to Maddie. “Mom...it doesn't matter whether Santa lives or not. What matters is the joy, wonder, and love we feel. And, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to drop the whole Santa debate and start spending Christmas as a family for once and celebrate the real meaning of it. Which isn't whether Santa is scientifically-possible or not.”  
  
Maddie hesitated, then sighed and hugged him. “You're right...I've been doing this for far too long. My little boy grew up and I never even gave him a happy Christmas. What kind of mother am I?”  
  
“There's still time.” Jack placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. “Let's make this Christmas a great one.”  
  
Maddie nodded, smiling. “What should we do first?”  
  
“We can start with decorating the house. Let's go get some lights! And we can drive through the neighborhood, looking at all the light displays! And let's get pictures of our kids with Santa!” Jack suggested excitedly.  
  
Danny sat down next to his mother and listened to his father ramble out suggestions, then looked towards the lab door. To think, it took the dead for him to realize he needed to fix the problems in his home life instead of running from them.  
  
END

 

**Author's Note:**

> ((A.N.: Merry Christmas, everyone~! Now to get back to off and on writing other stories while preparing for Christmas.))


End file.
